Escaramuza: Riding from the Heart

Every weekend, at rodeos from Illinois to California, teams of young Mexican American women—escaramuzas charras—climb onto sidesaddles and weave their galloping horses through high-speed ballets, as heart-stopping as the revolutionary-era skirmishes for which they’re named. The documentary follows one such team, Las Azaleas, on their quest to represent California and the United States at the National Charro Championships in Mexico, where to be Charro is to be Mexican. Despite growing family obligations and drug violence in Mexico, these young women sacrifice their time, money and personal safety to keep centuries-old Charrería traditions alive in the United States. America’s original rodeo, rooted in the cattle culture of Colonial Mexico, charreada blends the equestrian skills, handcrafted tack, costumes, music and food of that rich heritage into a living folk tradition. Between the men’s events, the young women perform their precision routines, bending and twisting their horses in intricate synchronized patterns. The film follows Las Azaleas as they rigorously train to compete in Mexico. At home, these California and U.S. champions pass on their traditions to the next generation of brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. In Mexico, competing against the best of the best, they must come to terms with their complicated relationship to the culture they love but live only at a distance. SCREENINGS and AWARDS: Premiere – The Autry Museum of the American West Special Jury Award for Bridging Cultures – Arizona International Film Festival Official Selection – CineFestival Official Selection – CineMuestra Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame (Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo) Best Heritage Documentary – Encuentro Mundial de Cine Official Selection – Festival Internationale de Cine in Alamos, Sonora, MX Best of Festival – 1st Equus Film Festival PBS (VOCES series presented by Latino Public Broadcasting) Official Selection – San Diego Latino Film Festival Official Selection – San Francisco Doc Fest Best Documentary Feature – Silver Springs International Film Festival Official Selection – Thin Line Film Fest Official Selection – Viva Fest @ The Tech Museum Viewers are saying: “incredible melding of culture and sport” “inspiring and heartwrenching” “I’m hooked!”